Sisters of Fortune by Esther Chehebar

August 1, 2025

Sisters of Fortune by Esther Chehebar

Nina, Fortune, and Lucy Cohen are sisters. They live in an insular community of Syrian Sephardic Jews in Brooklyn. Fortune is engaged to be married and while Saul isn't the man of her dreams, she knows he will provide a stable comfortable life for her. Youngest sister Lucy is a high school senior dating a man in his 30s (which her parents don't think is inappropriate - go figure), while oldest sister Nina, still single at 26 and considered to be past her "sell-by" date, is trying to break out of her restrictive life.

I'm not usually a fan of women's fiction but this was an interesting look at a community I knew nothing about, a group of Sephardic Jews originally from Syria who all settled in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, which is what I enjoyed a lot more than the constant family drama. The ending felt rushed: there is no resolution to Fortune's flirtation with the grocer's son, and Nina does a 180 as soon as a potential husband appears on the horizon, falling back instantly into all the stuff she hated. Plus, Lucy's perfect marriage is already starting to show cracks, as she notices how her much older husband enjoys talking with her college educated sister and her friends, and her high school friends who attend college have already moved past her. Lots of discussion about the importance of food in their culture and traditions. If you like women's fiction, this will probably appeal to you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

October 19, 2023

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

Lila Macapagal and company are back for another cozy mystery set in Shady Palms, Illinois. Her three godmothers April, Mae, and June (aka the Calendar Crew) are opening a laundromat, which has started a war with the owner of the only other laundromat in the town. Just in time for their grand opening, April's niece Divina arrives from the Philippines, and the aunties figure they'll put her to work at the laundromat to keep her busy. But someone doesn't want them to open and vandalizes the laundromat, and the suspect list is long, since the aunties have offended most of the town residents at some point with their nosiness and gossip. Then disaster really strikes a few days later when Divina is found dead next to a washer.

The fourth adventure in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen cozy mystery series, complete with recipes. This entry is not as strong as some of the earlier books, with a lot of filler about food and meals. The romantic relationships are progressing slowly. There are recipes in the back for some of the yummy dishes. I worked for many years with Mia's mom, and I am so glad to see that Mia is fulfilling her dream of being a writer. 

Mamon cakes, a fluffy chiffon-y cake often made with coconut

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

November 10, 2022

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Lila Macapagal and her friends Adeena and Elena have finally opened their cafe, the Brew-ha Cafe, in Shady Palms, IL, right next door to Lila's family's Filipino restaurant. They are getting ready to participate in the town's annual holiday bazaar, when Lila's prodigal cousin Ronnie returns home to Shady Palms as the new owner of the local winery. But when one of his financial backers dies suddenly after drinking one of Ronnie's wines, Ronnie is a prime suspect and Lila's aunt asks her to help clear his name.

This is the third book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen series, a cozy mystery series centered around a Filipino family restaurant in a small town about 100 miles from Chicago. Lots of food and eating. There are recipes in the back of the books for some of the traditional Filipino dishes. I worked with Mia's mom, Marian, for years at the Chicago Public Library, and I know she is proud as heck of Mia. Very enjoyable mysteries.

Bibingka, a traditional Filipino coconut cake served during the Christmas holidays

Homicide and Halo-halo by Mia Manansala

March 14, 2022

Homicide and Halo-halo by Mia Manansala

Lila Macapagal continues to live in her hometown of Shady Palms a hundred miles from Chicago. Since solving the mystery of who killed her old boyfriend, she has been just drifting along, still working as a waitress at her aunt's restaurant, unable to push herself to open her new cafe with her BFF. When the town council decides to resurrect the teen beauty pageant, Lila is drafted as a judge since she won the pageant many years before. When another judge is murdered, Lila's cousin Bernadette looks like the most likely suspect. Although the two cousins have a rocky relationship, they join forces to find the real killer and clear Bernadette's name.

This is the author's second mystery and she wrote it during the pandemic and admits that it's not as light-hearted as the first one. I still found it to be enjoyable. I worked with Mia's mom at the Chicago Public Library for many years and they are a lovely family. We are all so proud of Mia!

Halo-halo is a Filipino dessert made with fruits like coconut, banana, and jackfruit, fruity gelatin, ube (which is purple yam, although I've seen recipes that omitted the ube and substituted mangoes instead) and shaved ice. Traditionally, you're supposed to mix it together before eating it so you get a taste of everything in a single bite.

A dish of halo-halo

Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King

 July 11, 2020

Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King

Thrasius is a Greek slave, purchased by patrician Marcus Gavius Apicius to be his new cook.  Apicius is a gourmand, and also ambitious - he wants to be Caesar's gastronomical adviser for his banquets.  He is blocked by rival gourmand Octavius Publius, Caesar's current adviser, who is threatened by Thrasius' extraordinary cooking skills.  Thrasius unexpectedly finds a home, friends, and a family in the Gavius household, but his happy life is threatened when the entire household including the slaves is caught up in Roman politics and intrigue.

I love books set in ancient Rome, also about food and cooking, with well-developed characters, so this one checked a lot of boxes for me.  It was why I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's lukewarm mystery Bone in the Throat - the mystery itself wasn't that great, but the descriptions of food and cooking were wonderful.

Apicius is the first known gourmand from ancient times, although there were undoubtedly others when you consider the scope of the banquets that the patricians held.  He left a collection of recipes (that his slave chef undoubtedly developed) that are the first known cookbook, dating from the 1st century C.E.  While there is no record of any of the slaves, there are a number of historical characters throughout the book.  For a look at life in ancient Rome, you may want to watch the PBS series I, Claudius, based on the two novels by Robert Graves, I, Claudius and Claudius the God.  The series is available on Acorn TV (subscription is around $6/month).

I needed a change after reading two mediocre books, and this fit the bill nicely.  Great cover art, too.  Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction set in the ancient world.